Christmas Message 2017

"You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father's face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift."  - John R. Rice

Christmas 2017! Once again, we find ourselves in the holiest of seasons, celebrating the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is also means time spent with our family and friends. And, while the real significance of this time sometimes gets overwhelmed by shopping, gifts, parties, and other activities, let's not forget what the birth of Christ meant to the world.

John 3:16-17 (KJV) tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

This was not an act of pity on God's part. Neither was it an act of charity. God did this because He loved us. It was a pure and simple act of love. As parents, we love our children unconditionally. God, as our Father is no different. He loves us despite our rebellion, flaws, and iniquity.

Through this unselfish act of love, He sent us His Only Begotten Son to save us from our sinful nature. He provided us with a chance that would otherwise be unattainable. There is no possible way to calculate the value of this gift. How can one put a price on real love?

Somewhere underneath all of the commercial hype, flashing multi-colored lights, and presents in vibrant gift wrap, the true meaning of Christmas may still be found. You won't find it under a brightly lit tree, or online. It is in your heart; and that is love. The same love that sent Jesus to earth on that long ago night.



It has been tradition here for us to gone on hiatus during this time. This is to allow our ministry staff and writers to celebrate the season with their loved ones. While we are away, our archived messages are always available to you. We will return on Monday, January 8, 2018.

Thank you for allowing us to share our love of Jesus Christ with you throughout this past year. We are looking forward to doing the same in 2018! On behalf of everyone here at The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry, I wish you, our friends, both old and new, a blessed and safe Christmas and New Year!  ~Eve

Prayer: Thank you Lord, for the gift of Your love. May I always be a glowing example of that love to others, amen.

May God bless all of you!

The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry

...A Price on Christmas?

"How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, His precepts!" - Assorted Authors

One of the most common complaints heard at Christmas time is that the holiday is too expensive. But, is it really? I suppose the answer to this question depends on who you are, and how you look at it. We should check out the very first Christmas before making a decision.

Was it too expensive? Let's see...it cost Mary and Joseph their comfortable home to travel to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7). Oh, and we can't forget the angel-directed exile to Egypt to save baby Jesus from a sure death at the hands of Herod (Matthew 2:13).

How about the parents in Bethlehem whose babies were massacred by the wicked Herod (Matthew 2:16)? The shepherds left their flocks behind in order to travel to Bethlehem, so that they might see the newborn Messiah as announced to them by the angel of the Lord (Luke 2:8-20).

How about God? What did Christmas cost Him? It cost Him everything. He gave up His only begotten Son (John 3:16)! What did Christmas cost Jesus? It cost him a life of sacrifice and service, and a vicious, cruel death that is unequaled in history (Matthew 27:32-56).

Therefore, is Christmas too expensive? It is if if doesn't mean hope. Those who know the Christ of Christmas will never be without hope. It is costly if we don't receive and experience God's gift of love (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10).

It's costly if we don't experience the forgiveness of sins. We'd totally miss the true meaning of Christmas if we forgot Jesus' purpose for coming into the world; that was too seek and save the lost (Luke 9:10). It's also expensive if we do not fill our hearts with joy, and let it radiate outward.

We can't forget the cost of not demonstrating peace and goodwill to others. After all, Christmas is a time for peace and goodwill. If we have received God's goodwill, then we will show goodwill toward God and others (Luke 2:14).

Christmas is too costly if we don't share the Good News (Luke 2:11). It is a privilege to share our knowledge of God with those who do not know Him. Make Christmas worthwhile by sharing the Good News.

And finally, Christmas is too expensive if we don't exercise faith. God's faith in man is revealed by the gift of his Son Jesus. Can we doubt that God cares for sinners? Toss aside any uncertainty by reacting with faith in the Lord Jesus always.

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6; John 1:14; Jeremiah 29:11; Luke 1:46-47; Zechariah 9:9

Prayer: Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!  -1 Corinthians 9:15

May God bless you always!

Layne

Let God's Word Provide You With Guidance

"Though the Bible was written over sixteen centuries by at least forty authors, it has one central theme--salvation through faith in Christ." - Max Lucado

Every now and then, we find ourselves in need of some comforting thoughts; supplemented by a healthy dose of encouragement. Honestly, even the most tempered soul can sometimes get rattled and desire some solace.

What can one do? We can share our concerns with family, friends, our pastor, or seek the help of a trained professional. But, one of the best, and freely available, resources we have at our disposal is the Bible. Surprisingly, it is often overlooked or discarded altogether.

Between its covers can found comfort when we need it, wisdom and guidance when we seek it, and the encouragement that everything is going to be alright in the end. You know, there are many other sources you could turn to, but none will serve you better than the Word of God.

Let me demonstrate this using Romans 10:13. What better subject than that of salvation! Many put more thought into their order at Starbuck's™ than they do in their salvation. Since all of us are born into sin, this should be a great concern.

Mercifully, God has spoken to us about this subject (of our being saved) in clear and plain language.The significance of salvation is staggering. The word alone hints at misery, suffering, danger, risk of punishment and death.

More importantly, it implies deliverance or liberation from these things as seen in Exodus 14:13; Psalm 106: 8-10; and Isaiah 63:8, 9; 1 Samuel 11:13; and 1 Chronicles 11:14. All is not lost, after all. There is hope.

In a spiritual sense, as indicated in the New Testament, salvation means deliverance from the eternal condemnation of sin. This deliverance, our deliverance, is the result of the incarnation, sufferings, and death of Jesus Christ. It is the salvation of our immortal soul.

Today, I have touched on only one example of the encouragement we can find in the Bible. But, no matter what problem(s) are bearing down on you right now, or at any time, you can always find a wealth of heavenly enlightenment within its pages.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 15:4; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:105; John 5:39

Prayer: Dear Lord, I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. -Psalm 119:11

May God bless you!

Inga

The Joy of Jesus!

"The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him."  - Dwight L. Moody

During this time of the year, we see the word "joy" used often in many different formats. And who would disagree that the word evokes feelings of happiness, rejoicing, and inner warmth? In addition to these examples, we find "joy" used a lot in the Bible.

In fact, it is used over 100 times in the Old Testament and about 60 or so times in the New Testament. Its wide usage alone leads one to believe that it has to be an important word. Therefore, I think it's one of those words that should definitely be examined a little more closely.

For sure, we could pick any number of instances where "joy" comes up in scripture, but to save time and space, I will direct you to one verse in particular, Hebrews 12:2 (NASB). Let's zero in on the part that says, "...who for the joy set before Him..." 

Using this as our starting point, we can ask the question, "What is this joy that was set before Jesus?" While there are many illustrations we could point to, I will suggest a few of the better known.

To begin, Jesus speaks of it in the joy of father who receives his penitent son back into his heart and home in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32). Then, there's the joy of a shepherd who finds the lost sheep he had been looking for in The Parable of the Lost Sheep ((Luke 15:3–7).

Another case may be found in the Parable of the Lost Coin ( Luke 15:8–10), where a woman looks for a lost coin, finds it, and rejoices. What is the common denominator regarding the joy of Jesus, in all of these examples? It can be condensed to just four words: the joy of love.

And not just any ol' variety of love, either. It is that exceptional and wonderful kind of love which inspires us to call grace. We can also say that it is the strongest, most beautiful, and heavenly type of love. And, while we're at it, let's call it the joy of holiness and of absolute goodness.

As you can see, there's a lot more to the word "joy" than what we see on a Christmas card. We could all do a lot worse than to make Christ's joy our goal, not only during the Christmas season, but all year long. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! -Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

Scripture: Romans 12:12; James 1:2; Philippians 4:4; Galatians 5:22; Psalm 118:24

Prayer: Dear Jesus, it makes me feel so wonderful to release the joy inside that I receive from You. I pray that my happy heart will not only lift my spirits, but that I can share this same joy with everyone I meet, amen.

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey

What About the Gospel? (Part 3)

"The Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed."  - Harry Ironside

If you have followed along on the previous installments, you should now have a workable understanding of what the gospel is. We saw that it is good news from God to man; the good news of spiritual good, forgiveness, and salvation.

But we must not be satisfied with only this knowledge. For as impressive as this might be, our view cannot be thought of as complete without considering whose gospel it is, as well. So let's begin our discussion of this topic here.

As we shall see, the gospel is not an impersonal or theoretical gospel. Neither is it the gospel of man, nor an infinite and distant God. It is the gospel of both God and man. It is specifically described in the text of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

But, in order to allow for a more meaningful conversation about this, we must first set the table, so to speak. To begin with, I'm not aware of anything in the Scriptures that is so consistently disrespected and more incompletely understood than the names and titles of the Savior.

And, even if we do acknowledge the honor and greatness of him, it is only in the general sense. In other words, with no clear concept regarding the importance of the terms we use. Indeed, this habit is quite deeply-rooted and hurtful.

I am sure we'd agree that it wouldn't hurt to occasionally remember the primary importance attached to all names. And that divine names are especially so! The names of the Redeemer were designed to be descriptive and expressive, and not ordinary, formal, and meaningless.

We find that every name is significant of a great truth or relevant feature pertaining to the person or duty of Christ, including the method of redemption. I felt it vital to my message that we clarify the points noted above. I hope that you will find it beneficial as we move forward, too.

In closing, I invite you to join me next time as we continue with our dialogue on the gospel. Until then, I wish you all a blessed week!

Scripture: Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:9-11; John 14:6; John 8:58;  Jeremiah 10:6

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Your Son has taught us that life is eternal and love cannot die. May we always keep this in our hearts and actions, amen.

May the Lord bless!

Shawna

What Is Our Being in Christ?

"Being in Christ, it is safe to forget the past; it is possible to be sure of the future; it is possible to be diligent in the present."  - Alexander MacLaren

Christ came into the world to tend to the most troubling problems that disturb human hearts. He came to make known the way of love for everyone. In Colossians 3:11, the apostle Paul is speaking to believers regarding their position in, and relationship to, Jesus Christ.

Paul occupies himself with the painful problems that worry, upset, and divide people, by first and foremost emphasizing our relationship to God from His point of view. He points out that we died to sin through Christ (Colossians 2:20), and that we have been raised with Christ to a new life (Colossians 3:1).

Moreover, he asserts that when our Lord appears in his glory, we too, will appear with him (Colossians 3:4). In light of these great spiritual realities, Paul encourages us to cooperate with our Lord as we seek to live out our unity with him.

Thus, the apostle Paul furnishes spiritual encouragement in the form of some noteworthy commands. First, we are encouraged to focus the aim of our life on Christ (Colossians 3:1). The apostle had defined his purpose of his existence in terms of relating himself to Jesus Christ and letting Christ live in him (Philippians 1:21).

Next. we're encouraged to focus our mind on Christ (Colossians 3:2). Our affections, disposition, and our will, or for that matter, our entire personality is to be affected by our desire to let Jesus Christ have his way with us.

Finally, we are encouraged to focus our hope on Christ (Colossians 3:4). After all, our great hope for the future and beyond time is to be united with the Christ, and with the people of God, throughout eternity. Therefore, Paul encourages us to remove hindrances to Christian fellowship (Colossians 3: 5-17).

In closing, Christ came and died for our sins, conquering death and the grave, so that eternal life might be an actuality for you and I. He came to dwell inside each of us when we trusted him as Savior. And, he wants to help us live the heavenly life, even as we continue with our physical life here on earth.

However, in order for Christ to help us with our present, painful problems, we must acknowledge and respond to him regularly. For it was faith in Christ that established us in a loving relationship with him, and it is listening to and obeying him that will inevitably bring satisfaction and joy to our hearts.

Scripture: Colossians 2:9; John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Romans 15:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21

Prayer: Holy Father, I thank you for our great salvation; past, present, and future. I also thank you for Christ as our redeemer, teacher, guide, and friend, amen.

Have a blessed day!

Layne

Video - Rebekah Gregory: Prepared Through Adversity

In this video clip, Boston Marathon bombing survivor, Rebekah Gregory, talks a little about a lifetime of adversity and the work God was doing throughout it all. There isn't one person out there who hasn't struggled through adversity of one type or another. A message that resonates with us all.  ~Eve